Does tequila taste different after it has been in a flask? We were asked that question recently, and decided to find out.

After doing some online research, we learned that there was no clear obvious answer – other than “it depends on the flask.” If the flask is cheap, and made of inferior metals, there’s a chance that it could affect the taste of the tequila inside it.

Right after we moved to Mexico City, we bought a cool-looking flask we found in a store near our apartment. Having never owned a flask before, I guess we just thought all were created equal, and didn’t worry about the details.

We reasoned that since tequila is stored at a distillery, often for long periods of time, in large stainless steel containers – that there shouldn’t be any effect on the taste as long as the flask is made from the same quality metal.

To get ready for our experiment, we loaded up the flask with a tequila that we know and love – one we are very familiar with – Fortaleza blanco. We let it sit in the flask for over a month.

As you can see by watching the video, the results were mixed. Scarlet and I weren’t able to detect any difference in aroma between tequila straight from the bottle and the same tequila from the flask.

When we tasted it, Scarlet didn’t notice much of a difference – but I felt there was some change to the finish. It became a little rougher late in the finish – something that’s not normally present in the super-smooth Fortaleza blanco.

I can only assume that our flask isn’t constructed with the best of metals. But even so, storing tequila in it for a fun night out will probably not show any difference in taste – even after a month in the flask, the change was barely detectable. (Especially by Scarlet, and everyone knows she has the tasting skills in the family.)

4 Comments

If it is a pewter flask, which a lot of flasks are, it will almost certainly take on a much different taste profile, due to the presence of lead in the alloy. Tequila is slightly acidic, and acid in liquid dissolves lead, which will lead to lead poisoning. That is why you never put juices in a pewter container. ServSafe 101.

I have noticed a definite metallic twang after a few days in a stainless steel flask. Might be the lead in the solder or welds used to seal it.

I now use exclusively plastic flasks-not the hard plastic, but the soft, collapsible ones sometimes called cruise flasks. They can be collapsed to remove the air which also affects the taste and they impart NO flavor to the contents, whether the finest tequila or 30 year-old scotch!

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